Scoundrel
by fandomtrashpanda
Summary: Ban made the mistake of hesitating. And now he's roped into a lot more than he wants to deal with. But if it's for her, then it's worth it. Ban/Elaine
1. Chapter 1

Prompt: A is an assassin, B is the person A is hired to assassinate.

* * *

"This is her?" The lazy drawl makes the older man frown and push up his glasses.

"Can you do it or not?"

"Why do you always take me looking at a picture and clarifying that it's the target as me implying that I can't or won't do it?" Was the assassin's response. "And you're asking me to take out a literal princess. This should be fun~" He glances over the rest of the file before looking up at his employer. "Mind my asking what this is meant to accomplish?"

"Will knowing improve or inhibit your ability to do the job?" The edge to his employer's voice made him frown and shrug.

"I was just asking~" he scoffed, turning around and approaching the door.

"Just get the job done, _Fox_."

SDSSDSSDSSDSSDS

Knocking out the castle guards was easy for Ban, as was scaling the wall and swinging himself onto the balcony of the room that the file said was hers. He had his gun ready and was pressed to the edge of the wall so he could slide into the room; the lights were on inside and he didn't want anybody on their patrol he might have missed walking by and seeing a shadow walking boldly into the princess' room. He was about to slip in when he heard the sound from the same side of the room where he was hiding, close to the balcony.

'Saving me some trouble~' he thought casually, slipping around the corner and throwing the curtains aside and raising his gun so that the barrel was pointing at the source of the soft weeping. Ban made the mistake of hesitating, because that moment of hesitation was all it took for the air to be knocked out of his chest.

She was a dainty thing, but lovely all the same. What caught his attention was when the princess looked up at him, leveling the barrel of his gun at her forehead in the process - and she didn't look scared.

She looked into his eyes for a few seconds before her eyes went to his gun; and then, to his astonishment, she closed her eyes and leaned her head against it.

"What are you doing?" He said quietly.

"Go ahead and do it," she whispered, sounding broken. "I'd rather be dead than betrothed to a tyrant."

"What are you talking about?" Her eyes fluttered open at his question and she looked up at him, her cheeks streaked with tears.

"The king of Barren is threatening war if he can't have me for a wife," she said quietly. "My brother is trying to negotiate something else, but I know that it's only a matter of time before he has to agree, for the safety of our people."

"What happens if you die?"

"What?" She looked surprised as he lowered his gun.

"I was hired to kill you, princess~" he drawled, pulling down his mask and smirking when she gasped softly at the sight of his face, "-so, what happens if you die?" She lowered her eyes and looked thoughtful.

"May I stand?" She asked him; he bowed and gestured for her, which made her huff in annoyance. She walked towards her desk where there were a few books, flipping through them before setting them down and resting her hands on the surface.

"Well?"

"There would be war," she answered quietly. "If I marry him, I'm miserable and people continue to suffer under him, but my people aren't included. If I don't marry him, he declares war - and if I die -" her voice started to shake, "-there would still be war. There's no way for this to end -"

"-There is, actually~" She gasped and turned around to face him.

"How?" She demanded, "How can this be stopped?"

"I know enough about Barren's politics~" he said, "the tyrant king has a son who ran away years ago and is hiding out in the neighboring kingdom. If he dies, his son can go back and reclaim the throne~"

"Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

"I'll kill the king of Barren, instead of you~" he said, moving his gaze from his gun to her, his lips curling into a smirk.

"What do you want in return? Money?" She asked, holding her head high.

"What's worse to you, princess?" He asked, approaching her slowly with a predatory glint in his eye. "A mad king with the blood of thousands of innocent people on his hands -" he leaned closer to her, making her cheeks flush, "-or a scoundrel with the blood of a few dozen… morally ambiguous people on his hands?"

"Why?" She whispered, gasping when he kneeled in front of her; he was so much taller than her he barely had to raise his head to meet her gaze.

"Give me a kiss~" he purred, his smirking growing a bit wider at her soft gasp.

"B-b-but - why?" She stammered, the flush rising in her cheeks.

"You have…" he murmured, his smirk falling as he looked at her with half-lidded eyes, "the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen~"

"You…" she seemed unable to form a coherent thought at his admission.

"A single kiss from you, your majesty~" he said before promising her, "and I will be at your disposal~" She stepped a bit closer to him, one of her hands moving from her chest to gently touch his face, staring into his eyes as her fingertips traced his jawline. He had never known longing until her other hand moved to his face while her other hand continued to move, her knuckles caressing his neck as her hand cupped his cheek.

"What's your name?" She whispered, so close to him that he could feel the puffs of air on his lips.

"Ban," he rasped, unable to muster his usual playful voice; he could feel one of her soft hands on the back of his neck, the other barely tracing his pulse on his neck. She finally eased his nerves, her soft lips moving forward to press against his. His hands immediately went to her waist, wanting to pull her closer. But to his surprise, _she_ moved closer to _him_ ; she buried both of her hands in his hair, tilting her head to slant her lips against his own

"Princess -" he rumbled when they broke apart.

"Elaine," she corrected him breathlessly, "my name is Elaine."

"Elaine~" he repeated her name, unable to disguise a tone of reverence. To his further astonishment, she leaned down and kissed him again, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she fell into his arms.

"If you're the scoundrel in question-" she panted when they parted again, "-I don't even want to know what that king is like."

"I won't let him have the chance~" She squeaked as Ban stood in a fluid motion, sweeping her into his arms.

"What are you-" she didn't have a chance to finish her question before he was laying her down on her bed and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I'm going to come back for you, princess~" he promised her as he pulled away, "but first, I'm going to keep up my end of our promise~"

SDSSDSSDSSDSSDS

Eight days later, word reached Elaine that the mad king of Barren had been killed in his sleep, a single bullet piercing his temple being what did the job.

She found herself pacing in front of her window for the three nights after, until one night while her back was turn she heard the curtain fluttering and then a low chuckle from her chaise. She spun around and sighed at the sight of Ban, sprawled out languidly and looking at her.

"Did you miss me?" He asked, holding out his hand for her to take as she approached, sitting in his lap as he sat up.

"Yes, surprisingly," she said quietly. "I'm… glad that you're safe." She smiled shyly, her hands resting on his chest when he leaned in slowly to kiss her. "Where do we go from here?" She whispered against his lips when he pulled away.

"Run away with me~" he answered, smirking when she giggled and dropped her head on his shoulder.

"Yes."

"Wait, really?" He leaned away to see her smiling at him.

"This life here is suffocating," she responded, "I'm constantly lonely here, even more so since my brother married Lady Diane - not to fault either of them, it's just that…" she looked contemplative before meeting his eyes. "I want an adventure," she determined. It took a moment before Ban's lips stretched into a grin.

"I can give you an adventure~"

* * *

A/N: Yes, I totally wrote three of these things in one day I AM TRASH FOR THIS SHIP.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Congratulations, ya bastahds - I caved in to peer pressure.

I have no idea how long this fic is going to be, but for the sake of my own sanity I'm going to try to limit it to approximately 1500-2000 words per chapter. I can only proofread so much before I get sick of it, and I have to proofread _a lot_.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

"You're a difficult man to find."

Ban looked up from his pint with a frown, and then looked down to see a kid with green eyes and messy blonde hair staring up at him with a wide grin.

"That's kinda the point~" he drawled, going to take another swig from his pint and stopping. "Should they really be letting kids into this joint?"

"I provide the ale," the kid said, "I set up shop here because I heard you had been spotted in the area, hoping that you would show up!"

"You're a true detective~" Ban responded. "So, whaddaya want? In case you haven't heard, I've retired. Not that an " _ale provider_ " could afford my usual price~"

"I think I could," the kid said.

"And what makes you say that?"

"Because I'm Meliodas. Crown Prince of Barren."

Ban spout out his beer, dousing the kid.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"So, let me get this straight…" Ban said slowly, Elaine sitting beside him with her arms wrapped around one of his, patiently watching the exchange between the two men. "You want me to be your bodyguard?"

"At least until I can prove that my brothers want to kill me," Meliodas said with a nod.

"Why don't they just make one of your brothers the king? I get the impression from you that you don't really want the throne~"

"One of the members of parliament sent me a message saying that having a runaway son take the throne will make it look better to the citizens and might quell some of the rioting," he responded. Ban scrutinized him for a moment before smirking.

"You don't want the throne~" Ban said, "you want a girl who's _involved_ with the throne~" Meliodas sat across from the couple with his arms crossed and a blank look on his face; Ban didn't feel threatened, but Elaine held his arm tighter as his eyes flicked between the two of them.

"Whoever takes the throne of Barren has to marry a princess from a neighboring kingdom to quell the uprisings," Melliodas began to explain, "and that leaves Almora and Liones. Unfortunately, the princess of Almora recently went missing. King Harlequin has put out a large price for anyone who can bring him news of where he can find her - a barony for anyone who can bring her home, safe and unharmed." His eyes went to Elaine and Ban's whole body went tense, his hand slamming down on the table.

"You wouldn't _fucking_ dare -"

"-You're the one in love with Elizabeth." The two men looked to Elaine to see her stating intently at Meliodas. "I'm friends with her. We write to each other. She told me about a man who sold ale - he let her stay with him in his caravan, gave her hiding so she was always on the move... she ran away from home because she didn't want to marry the mad king, either."

"So let me get this straight…" Ban said slowly, "The thing with marrying the mad king… it was about satisfying the citizens? Because that sounds like bullshit~"

"It was to gain control of at least some portion of that country's army," Meliodas said. "The mad king was going to use any portion of the army he could get from either country to stamp out the country's rebelling populace. If either one of my brothers inherits the throne, I have no doubt that they'll do the same."

"And if you inherit the throne?" Elaine asked quietly before Ban had the chance.

"I'll marry the woman of my dreams and let her make the decisions," Meliodas grinned, folding his arms behind his head.

"Sounds lazy to me~" Ban declared.

"I think it sounds smart." Both men looked at Elaine again. "Elizabeth is very kind, and selfless. I think running away from home was the first selfish thing she ever did. She always sacrificed so much of herself to learn and understand her kingdom and its' people." Ban dragged his free hand down his face.

"Can Elaine be kept safe while I help you?" Ban asked.

"Ban -"

"-Elizabeth has already said she would be glad to host the runaway princess," Meliodas said, grinning at Elaine. "And Liones is probably even safer than Almora."

"They do have a stronger army," Elaine whispered to Ban, who made a muted growling noise.

"You've got a deal~" Ban said, stretching his arm across the table; but before Meliodas could shake his hand Ban held up a finger, "On _one_ condition-"

"Elaine will be kept safe, at all costs. At the first word of her being even remotely in danger, I will release you from your service so you can go to her," Meliodas told him, "I swear on my life."

"Alrighty, then~ Guess we have a deal~" Ban sighed, shaking Meliodas' hand.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"So, the story is that you're a traveller who found the princess being held captive by some thugs on the Almora-Liones border," Meliodas explained as they approached the capital city of Liones, "you took them out, and after sufficiently threatening them you found out that they were with the kingdom of Barren, hoping to incite a war between the two other kingdoms in hopes of forcing them to provide a princess to marry either the king, or one of the two princes."

"And because we were closer to Liones, I'm bringing her here~" Ban finished, looking at the castle as it appeared on the horizon.

"Yep," Meliodas nodded before grinning at Ban and telling him, "you're smarter than you look."

"Again - it helps with the job~" Ban smirked. He looked back over his shoulder into the caravan, smiling affectionately at Elaine, sleeping on a pile of blankets and pillows.

"So, what made you hesitate?"

What?" Ban looked up at Meliodas.

"I figured you met when you were sent to kill her, right?" Meliodas smiled at him out of the corner of his eye. "So, why didn't you?"

"I -" Ban stopped and sat straight, folding his arms over his chest. "She was crying~" he said softly, "and she didn't bat an eyelash when I levelled my gun at her forehead - she leaned into it~"

"So it wasn't sympathy that stopped you from killing her, but curiosity." Meliodas didn't have to phrase it as a question, it was already obvious.

"Yes~"

"So why did you kill the king of Barren, instead?" Ban glanced at Meliodas out of the corner of his eye.

"This isn't some secret operation to kill me out of vengeance, is it?" He asked.

"No, I'm genuinely curious," Meliodas said, glancing over at him. "Keep in mind, my father tried to have me killed when I suggested we allow the farmers in the countryside to keep some of what they grew."

"That's why you ran?" Ban asked. "All of the rumors said it was because of a failed coup~"

"Nah," Meliodas said with a shrug. "It was faked."

"Hn~" Things were quiet between them for the following hours, until Elaine yawned and sat up in the caravan, leaning into the seat to kiss Ban's cheek.

"It's bigger than I remember," Elaine said gently as they reached the city gates.

"You mentioned that you were about seven when you last came here~" Ban pointed out, smiling at her. Elaine smiled and blushed, most likely at the fact that he had remembered something that she had said in passing.

The gates to the city were wide open for the free flow of travellers and farmers, so they entered the city easily and made their way to the castle gates.

"State your business!" One of the guards at the gate demanded, faltering when Meliodas stood up with the reins to the horses in one hand and his other hand on his hip. "L-Lord Meliodas! We'll let you in immediately!"

"Lord?" Ban said out loud as the gates were opened for them. "They already know who you are?"

"The king has hosted me in secret since I ran from Barren," Meliodas said casually as they entered the castle grounds.

"Is it much of a secret if the guards know who you are?"

"Meh, I don't question it," Meliodas said, garnering looks of disbelief from Ban and Elaine.

"Lord Meliodas!" Called out a voice as the caravan came to a stop, Ban taking Elaine in his arms so he could dismount and gently set her on her feet. Meliodas was the first to greet the woman who ran towards them, stopping short of his arms. "I'm glad to see you're back safely," she said quietly, her eyes glancing passed him and stopping on Elaine.

"Elizabeth!" Elaine cried out with joy, running forward to hug the princess.

"Oh, Elaine! I was so worried when I heard the news!" Elizabeth exclaimed, hugging her childhood friend.

"You were worried? Imagine how I felt when you disappeared all of those months ago?" Elaine laughed, tearing up as she and Elizabeth embraced. Elizabeth looked up passed Elaine and faltered at the sight of Ban.

"Are you the man who rescued Elaine?" She asked, standing up straight. Ban merely nodded. "Thank you," she said, curtsying to him.

"I don't want any thanks, your majesty~" he said, smiling and bowing to her. "All I want… is the princess' safety~" Elaine smiled and blushed, a reaction that did not go unnoticed by Elizabeth.

"I see…" she said quietly, a knowing smile on her lips. "Well, my father will want to honor you -"

"-Sorry to interrupt, your majesty, but none of that will be necessary~" Ban assured her. "I'm not the type to enjoy big, extravagant things~"

"Then you aren't going to like what he has planned for us," Meliodas muttered, making Ban perk up and glare at him.

"What does he have planned, then?"

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"A whole cadre of knights?" Ban deadpanned, looking over the six knights on horseback.

"Bartra said something about a proper escort?" Meliodas chimed, mounting his own horse - the one that usually pulled his caravan, a massive thing from the north called Hawk.

"They won't take it as a threat?" He asked, frowning and swinging himself onto the horse that was provided for him.

"Fingers crossed."

"And so, onward to Barren~" Ban muttered, constantly looking back at the castle to watch Elaine fade in the distance. "I'll come back for you, Elaine~" He murmured, "I promise~"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Barren had once been a part of Liones, until centuries before the king of Liones annexed it because it was…

Well, _barren_.

The second the cadre of knights, with Ban and Meliodas in the lead, crossed the border into Barren the air itself seemed to change; a mist seemed to float out of the ground and weave through the permanently damp trees, the sky overcast no matter where they were.

"This place is certainly… eerie," Gustaf, one of the knights in the escort observed.

"You just don't want to offend the Crown Prince - 'creepy' is the word you're looking for," one knight named Simon declared.

"No need to worry about offending me!" Meliodas assured them. "I know all-too-well how creepy this place is."

"Any idea why it's so creepy?" Ban was the first to ask.

"A curse," Meliodas summarized. "Centuries ago, a demon laid waste to this land in pursuit of a princess. The king of Liones at the time annexed it and put a spell on it so the curse would spread no further."

"Sounds like a dick move~" Ban drawled, frowning at the overcast sky.

"On the plus side, we're very wealthy in iron and precious jewels," Meliodas shrugged, "but farming is the most difficult of any service in Barren, and farmers are treated the worst. A few years ago I suggested to my father that we spend some money from our kingdom reserve to make a trade with Almora, since their kingdom is known for its agriculture."

"And the mere suggestion had you exiled?" Another knight asked quietly.

"No, it had me sentenced to death," he said, stroking his chin as he looked towards the sky. "But, surprisingly, the entire castle staff helped me escape in the night and covered the whole thing up so it looked like I made it out on my own."

"If you're as kind by comparison, I don't think it was a surprise," Gustaf said with a small smile.

"Thanks, Gustaf - that means a lot," Meliodas said, his cheerful voice showing that he meant it.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Is it just me, or does the weather get gloomier the closer we get to the castle?" Ban observed as they travelled onward.

"Wait until you see it," Meliodas muttered, unsurprised by the noises of awe and fear from his travel companions when the reached the damp walls of the capital city - the center of the massive castle, a great spire grew towards the sky.

At the very tip of the spire, a dark, swirling cloud originated from it.

"So the curse is real?" Ban said, looking towards Meliodas; the prince nodded.

"I used to wonder how to break it," Meliodas admitted, "but I was never able to find a way to the top of the tower. And the only way to destroy it is to destroy the whole castle." Ban hummed as he stared up at the spire, becoming lost in his thoughts as they approached the castle. He came back to reality when the massive gates swung open, noticing that the knights who let them enter watched Meliodas with a mix of hope and fear.

"You've got a lot of pressure on you, Meliodas~" Ban murmured to him as they all approached the castle doors, knights lined up at attention and two men standing at the top steps.

"I'll handle it," he muttered as their horses came to a stop and Meliodas dismounted, striding towards the men at the top steps. "Is that Estarossa and Zeldris I see?" He asked rhetorically, stopping at the step below them.

"So the prodigal son returns," the taller of the two, Estarossa, said to Meliodas, his smile clearly forced. The shorter brother made no attempt to hide his disdain for Meliodas.

' _We're gonna have a tough time figuring out which one of them wants him dead,'_ Ban thought to himself as he dismounted, the knights who were sent with him following him in two lines, ' _it's probably both.'_

"You brought a guard with you?" Estarossa said, looking over Ban and the knights.

"Six were sent by the king. Ban is my friend," Meliodas said, gesturing towards Ban, who bowed lazily.

"I'm glad to see that the type of company you keep hasn't changed, brother," Estarossa said, stepping aside and gesturing for Meliodas to enter the castle as the doors swung open. "The members of parliament insisted that they throw a ball to celebrate your return."

"I would say that won't be necessary, but I'm guessing it's already underway," the future king responded, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"You would be correct. Most of the guests have already arrived, and it's scheduled to be held tomorrow night…"

' _I don't like this at all,'_ Ban thought as he made extended eye-contact with the youngest brother. 'Not one bit.'

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Chances are the first attempt is going to be here," Meliodas muttered to Ban the following evening, the knights of Liones off to the side.

"And I thought the castles in Liones and Almora were excessive~" Ban said to him with a heavy scowl.

"I'm sorry." Ban looked to Meliodas, smoothing his face to impassive when he saw the remorse in Meliodas' eyes. "I know you want to be with Elaine right now."

"And you want to be with Elizabeth~" Ban responded, smirking at him before looking out over the crowds of stuffy-looking diplomats and nobility. "I think it's about time you get this show on the road~"

"There's a staircase behind the throne that leads up into a walkway, which surrounds the entire castle - throne room and ballroom, used for hanging those tapestries. Perfect positioning for a sniper," Meliodas said quietly.

"The tapestries hang too far out, they couldn't be moved without drawing attention~" Ban said, looking around the edges of the throne room. "I'm sure you can position yourself so a sniper wouldn't be able to see you from around the edges without moving the tapestry?"

"Oh, definitely," Meliodas hummed.

"Alright - you have fun mingling and keep your eyes open, I'll do rounds of the walkway. Don't eat or drink anything." On that note, he slipped into the passage for the walkway, moving silently up the steps.

His years of training heightened his senses in the evening dark as he sniffed the air, his eyes narrowing as he looked to the left.

' _This place is even easier to sneak into than the castle in Almora,'_ he thought, moving stealthily along the wall of the walkway and scowling at how every window to the ballroom was open; luckily, the night air was still and left the tapestries inside remained unmoved. ' _This was planned,'_ he determined, knowing that he wasn't drawing attention to himself in shadows.

He must have circled the walkway two full times before he heard a scuffing sound and froze, pressing himself against the wall. He moved carefully, his eyes landing on a figure just as shadowy as himself. His eyes lit up with realization when he saw the figure reaching behind themselves and removing a composite bow. He slipped through the shadows easily as the would-be assassin stared into the ballroom, clearly trying to locate Meliodas from his position.

He made a noise of confusion when Ban tapped his shoulder, grunting when Ban's fist collided with his jaw; he kicked the bow to the side so it went skittering away, kneeling in front of the man as he slumped against the wall beneath the window.

"Hey, Weinheidt~" he drawled, the other assassin grunted as he looked up.

"Fox?" He spat. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Working for a better price~" he said with a shrug. "I should be asking you the same thing. Trying to kill the Crown Prince on his second day home? That's rude~" When the archer assassin didn't say anything else, Ban grabbed his throat and pinned him to the wall, choking him. "Who hired you?" He demanded.

"I don't know!" He choked, Ban's grip on his throat just lax enough to let him speak, but hard enough to make it difficult. "The job came through a broker!"

"What did the broker look like?"

"Tall, shaved head, glasses - hurk!" He choked when Ban tightened his grip on his throat.

"Did he have a tattoo of a black spiral with spikes coming out of it on the side of his head?" Ban demanded, Weinheidt barely nodding. "Thanks, Wein, you've been a great help~" Ban told him, releasing his neck.

"You gonna kill me?" Weinheidt gasped, looking up at him while grasping at his throat.

"Nah~" he said, picking up his bow and breaking it over his knee. "I only kill if there's money in it, remember? But I'll be keeping this~" he wagged the broken bow in his hands. "Now, I'm gonna tell the rest of security that I saw you, got your bow out of your hands, and you ran. They're gonna be scouring this castle for you in the next fifteen minutes, so I suggest you skedaddle~" Weinheidt glared at him before scrambling to his feet, vaulting over the side of the wall.

He strode leisurely down the steps and around the throne, brushing passed the guards and towards Meliodas in the center of the ballroom. When he was at his side Meliodas immediately turned away to look at him.

"Back so soon?" He asked, looking down when Ban held up the broken bow.

"I thought I knocked him out, but as soon as I broke his bow he was over the side of the wall~" Ban drawled.

Estarossa was the first to react, turning towards a nearby knight and saying, "Collect half of the royal guard and search the castle grounds." Ban didn't miss the way his fists clenched against his sides as he kept staring ahead when the knight had left.

"Something wrong, your majesty?" He asked; Estarossa looked at him with a dismissive expression before shaking his head.

"Nothing, Sir Ban," he said casually before bowing to Meliodas, "brother, I must request that I take my leave. I wish to supervise the knights in their search."

"Aw, you don't have to do that Estarossa!" Meliodas said cheerfully, clapping his shoulder. "But, if it makes you feel better, then go ahead and do what you'd like. I'm not gonna stop you."

"And back to the shadows I go," Ban said, bowing to Meliodas and the people he was speaking with before going to the edges of the ballroom and scanning the area for Estarossa. When he spotted him he frowned.

' _None of the guards went that way,'_ he thought, following the second prince down the hallway he had taken. Luckily for Ban, the torches that lit the corridor cast plenty of shadows, and there were multiple suits of armor on pedestals that were easy to hide behind. ' _What are you doing…?'_ Ban thought as he followed him, sticking to the shadows.

The corridor branched and winded, and Estarossa walked with so much purpose Ban nearly lost him a few times - but he refused to abandon stealth.

"Lady Caitlin." Estarossa said after rounding a corner, compelling Ban to stop. He frowned when he heard a woman's soft gasp at the opposite end of the hall.

"Prince Estarossa," the woman in question said, her voice icy. "Have you been following me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He responded; Ban could hear his footsteps walking further away from him and towards the woman. "What makes you wander so far from the party celebrating my brother's return?"

"I wanted to think, and it was too loud."

"Think about what?" There was an edge to his voice; Ban heard the woman's breathing shudder.

"That's… none of your concern," she said, a tremor in her voice.

"I'm the prince," he said; Ban could hear their footsteps shifting, the scrape of her heels on the plush carpet transitioning to clicking on stone telling him that he had backed her against the wall. " _Everything_ is my concern."

"Are you threatening me, your majesty?" She asked him, her voice breathy.

"No, Caitlin, not you - never you," Estarossa said, his voice gentle. "I'm threatening that impudent foreign knight who would have the _audacity_ to dance with you."

"I wanted to dance," she told him, "and since you were too busy shadowing your brother -"

"-What did he say to you?" He ordered. When she failed to respond, Ban heard shifting fabric and her moaning softly, punctuated by Estarossa commanding, "Caitlin, _what did he say to you_?"

"He was romantic," she gasped, moaning again. "He-he complimented me-"

"-He made you blush. And laugh," the prince sounded disgusted.

"Is that so wrong?" She asked him.

"Only I get to do that," he said, "I should kill him -"

"Estarossa, _no_!"

"He asked you something. He asked you something and you dismissed yourself, your cheeks redder than I've ever made them."

"Estarossa, please -" she sounded frightened; Ban cringed at the wet kissing noises that silenced her. "-He asked me if I was happy here," she gasped when the kiss ended.

"And what did you tell him?"

"I-I didn't tell him anything - I excused myself -" she was interrupted by another kiss, judging by the wet noises Ban overheard.

"Know this, Caitlin," Estarossa said when they broke apart, "as long as you stay by my side, no harm will ever come to you. But if another man ever steals you away from me, I will slaughter an entire army and whoever took you from me - and you're far too gentle to let that rest on your conscience."

Ban determined that he had heard enough, sneaking away to return to the ballroom. He had a gut feeling that the lovers' quarrel he had just eavesdropped on had given him some very important clues that put him a bit closer to returning to Elaine's side.

But first, he had to warn the poor bastard who had danced with the woman.

* * *

A/N: So, being in my mid-twenties, I thought I had outgrown sex dreams about anime characters, but NOOOOO...

Last night I had a dream that I had sex with Estarossa. Like, constantly. And as a consequence I had to throw something in, to satisfy my own thirst.


	4. Chapter 4

**Finale**

"Huh," Meliodas muttered later that evening as Ban filled him in. "Never knew Estarossa had it in him."

"So, chances are he's the one who wants you dead?" Ban suggested, but Meliodas shook his head.

"This means he won't want me dead," Meliodas responded. "Caitlin is nobility in title alone - her father's land was destroyed months ago by the revolts, wiping out over half of her dowry and most of his claim to nobility. He was a baron before, but now he doesn't have enough to raise his status."

"So?"

"Parliament wouldn't allow him to marry her if he became king," he explained. "And if they got married while he was still a prince, they would make him divorce her to become king."

"How come parliament is such a big deal here?" Ban asked.

"Because Parliament is comprised of all of the nobility and landowners in Barren. The only reason they didn't depose my father is because…"

"Because…?"

"My father was a sorcerer, Ban," Meliodas told him quietly, standing up and approaching the window. "He ruled over all of this with an iron fist and destroyed the lands of anyone who opposed him. With him gone, Parliament has the power that they were created for: to keep the royal family in check."

"This sounds like a lot of convoluted bullshit and it makes no sense~"

"Welcome to politics," Meliodas sighed with a shrug.

"So, that means your baby brother is the one who wants you dead~" Ban summarized.

"It would seem so," he muttered in response. "But I want to confirm Estarossa first."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"What?"

"You know that I don't want the throne," Meliodas said, stroking his face with the feather of a quill. "If I become king, I'll just use it as an opportunity to marry a princess. So I'm asking you - if you became king, what would you do?"

Estarossa stood in front of Meliodas' desk with a blank look on his face.

"You're honestly asking me?"

"Yep!" Meliodas grinned at him. Estarossa looked contemplative for a moment.

"I don't want it."

"Is that so?" He hummed, looking surprised. "Why not?" Estarossa looked towards the window. "Is there something you wanna do that Parliament wouldn't allow if you became king? I remember you always talking about wanting to become captain of the guard. Or a general." The younger prince frowned and lowered his eyes.

"I just don't want it, Meliodas."

"Do you think Zeldris could do it?" Estarossa's eyes snapped to Meliodas.

"Are you serious?"

"Actually, let me rephrase that: do you think Zeldris would _want_ to do it?"

"I don't need to rephrase it: _are you serious_?"

"Why? You don't have faith in him?"

"He's still too young and lacking in experience," Estarossa said briskly, "Parliament wouldn't allow it."

"You think so?"

"Also, he -" the younger prince paused and looked away, frowning to himself.

"So I'm not seeing things," Meliodas muttered, winning his brother's attention again. "When dad first started practicing dark magic, he had this look in his eyes - I'm starting to see it in Zeldris."

"He resented you for leaving, more than anyone else," Estarossa said, "he loved you."

For the entire exchange, Ban watched from the corner.

"I have a question~" he said, grabbing the attention of both princes. "How come you haven't married the baron's daughter?" Meliodas groaned and dragged his hand down his face as Estarossa's eyes lit up with fury.

"How did you -" he began to snarl, but he stopped, his shoulders slowly beginning to shake as he laughed, hiding his face behind his hand. "Last night - you were there," he laughed bitterly, "no wonder that knight was out of here before sunrise!"

"You're welcome, for getting rid of him so you didn't have to~" Ban deadpanned, drawing a scowl from the second prince. "So? Or do I have to eavesdrop on somebody else?"

"Bastard," Estarossa seethed. After a moment he sighed and looked away from both men. "Father forbade it."

"You could have eloped~"

"Run away? After the reaction to _him_ leaving?" He responded, nodding towards Meliodas.

"I've observed that there are people who are willing to forgive running away when it's out of love~" Ban said.

"What do you know of love?" He spat.

"A lot more than you think a scoundrel like me would~" he answered breezily to the prince's malice.

"Estarossa." The middle prince turned to his older brother, calming when he saw Meliodas' uncharacteristically serious expression. "You know that if anything happens to me, the throne goes to you - right? Whether you want it or not." It took a moment before he nodded. "Do you think Zeldris wants the throne?"

"Zeldris wants you dead," Estarossa murmured.

"Good to know," Meliodas hummed, leaning back in his chair.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Ban had been assigned to follow Zeldris for the duration of Meliodas' coronation, the specific words being, "keep an eye on the little shit, would ya?"

So that was what Ban did, his eyes watching the youngest prince carefully and narrowing when he saw him moving down a hallway - following Estarossa and Caitlin.

"This should be good~" He muttered out loud, moving to follow him at a safe distance.

"Brother!" It wasn't long before Zeldris called out, compelling Ban to hide behind a suit of armor.

"Zeldris? What are you doing?" Ban peeked through a gap in the armor and frowned at the sight of Zeldris, tensed and angry, with Estarossa at the opposite side of the hall with his arm extended to hold Caitlin behind him.

"Demanding an explanation!" The youngest prince spat. "How could you allow this to happen?"

"Zeldris -"

"-After what he did - leaving us with that bastard -" Ban froze when he saw black flames beginning to form at the youngest prince's feet.

"Zeldris, control yourself!"

"He deserves to die!" Zeldris yelled, "And you let this happen because of - because of her?" His hand became cloaked in black flames as he raised it and pointed at Caitlin, the same flames licking up his torso and burning his shirt, reveal a symbol that had been scarred onto his back: the same symbol that had been on the side of the broker's head.

"You would have done the same if it were Gelda," Estarossa said.

"Gelda is dead!" Zeldris screamed, "And if I have to suffer it, so should -"

 _ **Bang!**_

Zeldris froze, the flames around his body were snuffed out. Caitlin and Estarossa stared in horror as his body teetered before he collapsed to his knees and crumpled on the carpet.

"You think there'd be more blood~" Ban said as he stepped out of his hiding place, kneeling beside the dead prince.

"You killed the prince - just like that," Caitlin whispered in horror.

"If I hadn't killed him, he would have killed you~" was his rebuttal as he looked up at the two of them, a crowd starting to congregate at the end of the hall. Meliodas pushed through the crowd until he was at the front, hesitating for a moment before walking forward.

"No blood?" Meliodas said.

"The same as when I killed the king~" Ban told him quietly. Meliodas squeezed his shoulder as he stood up, taking a deep breath.

"Time for damage control," the new king muttered.

"Have fun with that~" the former assassin scoffed

"Before I do, though… I suggest you pack your bags and get out of dodge before Parliament starts asking questions," Meliodas instructed him. "Get back to your lady-love," he winked.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Ban was halfway out of Barren when there was a rumbling noise from overhead, like the sound of thunder; but when he looked up he smiled when the stormclouds that constantly rolled overhead disappeared in a wave of sunlight.

"Nice job, boss~" he muttered as he continued on his way back to Liones and to Elaine.

Unfortunately, when he arrived in Liones, Elaine wasn't the only member of Almoran royalty waiting for him.

"This is the guy?" King Harlequin demanded, gesturing at Ban in disbelief.

"Yes," Elaine said, blushing as she took Ban's hand in hers, "he was very heroic."

"Yeah, your highness - I'm heroic~" Ban said with a grin, which only deepened when King Harlequin scowled at him.

"Alright, in exchange for saving my sister, I'll grant you a wish."

"Any wish?" Ban said, looking down at Elaine.

"Anything within my power."

"Alright… I want to marry the princess~"

" _Absolutely not_!"

"I'll wear him down~" Ban promised Elaine that evening; she merely giggled while holding his hand.

"I've missed you," she told him, her face glowing with happiness.

"I suppose a scoundrel like me must have done something good to earn that~" he said, getting down on his knees so they were at eye-level.

"A scoundrel who steals princesses and then lies about it," Elaine laughed, bumping her forehead against his.

"If I recall correctly, you asked me to take you away," he murmured, closing his eyes as her hands cupped his cheeks.

"Yes," she said quietly, "and I would do it again."

"Even though I'm a scoundrel?"

"An honorable one. But yes."

* * *

A/N: How do you do endings for multi-chaptered things.

See, this is why I do drabbles/really short things that usually end on a note that leaves a lot of implications - doing genuine resolutions _suuuuucks_...

Also, if something else ever starts out as a one-shot and am compelled to make it into a genuine chaptered-fic, do not count on it being done as quickly as this one. The second something hits 15000 words and half of it isn't porn, I start slowing down.


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